Thirty Minute Lesson.

Yesterday I taught my son to drive stick shift. His uncle surprised him at 1:30 in the morning. He drove in from Illinois. He brought him his car. You see my sister and her husband are preparing to move over seas for a few years. They're air force. I didn't get a chance to speak with my brother-in-law so I don't know what prompted him to bring that car to my son. But I am thankful.
My son needed a car. Not that he needed transportation. He drives an employer provided vehicle already. And his employer doesn't mind that he uses it for his personal use so long as he replaces the fuel he uses. But it a big eighteen passenger van. So to be able to zoom around town in a car. A sports car at that. My son is a very responsible person. I know he will take good care of this car. Plus he is mature so I know that there will be no racing or any of that craziness associated with young men and fast powerful cars.
Anyway back to the subject at hand. Yesterday I took my son out to teach him how to drive stick shift. I took him to the park in an empty parking lot. We exchanged places. Before we started the engine I had him pratice shifting and clutching so he could learn where the gears are. That only takes about two minutes. Next he starts the engine. Puts the car into first gear and.... Stalls. He came off the clutch to fast. I explain to him the rules about coming off the clutch in first and reverse. Everyone who drives stick stift knows this rule. I tell him everyone stalls. Especially when driving a stick you haven't driven before. You got to get to know your clutch and shift. Every car is different. He starts the car again. Put the car into first. Stalls. Once again he starts the car. Shifts to first. We're moving. I tell him listen to the engine. To feel the pull of the transmission. That he can watch his rpm's. All indicators of when to shift to the next gear. He shifts. Second, third, fourth. I explain how to brake and downshift. He brings the car to a stop. He starts again with first gear, all the way to fourth. He pratices doing this until he's comfortable with it. He pratices reversing. Next I take him to a hill and let him learn how to shift and pull off on a hill, explaining to him that a stick shift will drift backward when you go to shift on a hill (and it seems that the idiot driving the car behind you always want to pull up to your bumper leaving you no room for a drift). He practices that a few times. That's it.
Before we went out for him to learn this valuable new skill I told him he would be driving stick shift in thirty minutes. I said to him "Driving stick shift is like riding a bicycle. Once you learn it. You never forget."
He drives to my house. Excellent job. He did not stall once. We say bye for now and thank you and I love you. I watch him pull away from the curb. Shift second, down shift back to first, go over the speed bump, shift back to second, then third. Stop, shift, turn, second, until he was out of sight. I smile.